Container and dispenser for canned liquids



June 5, 1934. A, J, H IN 1,961,585

CONTAINER AND DISPENSER FOR CANNED LIQUIDS Filed Nov. 28, 1932 INVENTORAL v/s J. HA USK/NS ATTORNEY Patented June 5, 1934 UNITED STATESCONTAINER AND DISPENSER FOR CANNED LIQUIDS Alvis J. Hauskins, Pasadena,

Isaac R. Hi1

lCalii., assignor to Application November 28, 1932, Serial No. 644,618

- 6 Claims. (01. 6H1) This invention is adapted for use in connectionwith canned liquids, such as milk, syrup, and the like, which areordinarily left in the can after the can has been opened until thecontents are used.

- Inasmuch as the cans which are used for condensed milk, and the like,are of unattractive appearance, in addition to being unsanitary, it is aprimary object of this invention to produce a container for the canswhich is of attractive appearance, and which provides means for closingthe openings to the can so as to prevent contamination and oxidation ofthe contents.

It is a further object of this invention to produce a container of theclass described, which embodies means for piercing and puncturing thecan top when the can is installed therein.

It is a still further object of this invention to produce a container oftheclass described wherein the piercing or puncturing means serve thedual purpose of providing outlet ducts for the contents of the can andlock the can in the container.

It is a still further object of this invention to produce a device ofthe class described which is of simple form and construction and whichmay be economically manufactured. In this connection, it is a noteworthyfeature of this invention that the container contemplated thereby is inthe nature'of a hollow shell, and that the parts thereof which contactthe dispensed liquid are accessible and may be easily and quicklycleaned.

The details in the construction of a preferred form of my invention,together with other objects attending its production, will be bestunderstood from the following description of the accompanying drawing,which is chosen for illustrative purposes. only, and in which Fig. 1 isa perspective view, partly broken away, showing a preferred form of theinvention,-and illustrating the manner in which it is applied to use asa container and dispensing device for canned liquids;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1,illustrating the same with the can installed therein;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken in aplane represented by the line3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan section taken in a plane represented by the line 4-4 inFig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation which may be considered ashaving been taken in the same plane as Fig. 3, but which illustrat s themanner in which the outlet ports for the 55 canned liquid are closed;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation showing a modifled form of container;and

Fig. 7 is an elevational View, partly broken away, illustrating themanner of using the device shown in Fig. 6.

More particularly describing the invention as herein illustrated,reference numeral 11 indicates a sealed can which may contain condensedmilk or a similar liquid, and which has a top indicated by referencenumeral 12.

The container and dispensing device contemplated by this inventioncomprises, what I may term, a hollow shell 13 which has an open bottomand is made of a size and shape so that it will fit snugly over the can11. In this connection, it will be understood that the size and shape ofthe shell may be varied, depending upon the can in connection with whichit is to be used.

The shell 13 is shown as being provided with a handle 14, and the upperextremity of the shell is provided with, what I may term, a pouringdevice which, in this form of my invention, comprises a lip 15 formed onthe upper edge of the shell. This lip or pouring device 15 communicateswith, what I may term, a pouring chamber which is formed by a crossmember 16 which, in this form of my invention, comprises a transversechannel or trough mounted in the upper end of the shell.

The transverse trough 16, or the pouring chamber, is provided in itsbottom portion with oppositely disposed openings 18 and 18' in whichdownwardly projecting hollow punching or piercing members 19 and 19 aremounted. Although the pouring chamber may take various forms and thepunching and piercing members may be disposed in various relationstherewith, I consider it preferable to employ as the pouring chamber anarrow, open channel or trough of the type shown, which is arranged insubstantial aligng5 ment with the lip or spout which constitutes thedirecting element, and. in order that all of the liquid may be drainedfrom the can by tipping the shell, it is important that one of thehollow punching or piercing devices (19') be positioned in closeproximity with the lip or spout 15.

The other hollow piercing member, which constitutes means for admittingair to the can as the contents are poured therefrom, is preferablypositioned at the opposite end of the trough. This 105 arrangement notonly permits the complete drain age of the liquid and prevents theleakage of the liquid through the punch 19 when the can is full, but ithas-the additional function of providing a convenient means for lockingthe can inthe shell. 110

In order to facilitate this locking action, I provide the piercingdevices 19 and 19' with cutting edges 20 and 20', which are inclineddownwardly and rearwardly from points adjacent the sides of thecontainer toward the center of the can.

It will be observed from this construction that as the punches orpiercing members enter the top of the can, those portions of the topwhich are cut by the cutting edges 20 as they proceed through the topare rolled away from the cutters and toward the edges. Inasmuch as thecutters or punches are placed in close proximity to the side wall of thecan, these cut portions, which I may term wedge flaps and which areindicated by reference numerals 21 and 21', are rolled back against theinterior of the can and form a tight wedge between the upper portion ofthe punches and the can wall so that the can is securely locked in theshell and does not require any support other thanthat which is providedin this manner.

Reference numerals 33 and 22 indicate packing washers which are providedon the punching members 19 and 19' to prevent leakage around thepunching members when the can is first installed. In order that theremay be a complete drainage of liquid from the trough into the punchingmembers after a pouring operation, the trough is provided withdepressions or is countersunk at the punch openings, as indicated at C.

Reference numeral 23 indicates a top or cover member, and since it isnot essential in a device of this character that the edges of the covermemher be tightly sealed with respect to the upper edge of the shell, Iprovide a novel means of securing the top on the shell, such meanscomprising a spring clip 24 which is secured in the top in any suitablemanner such as by means of a rivet 25, the sides of such clip extendingdownwardly over and tightly engaging the outer surfaces of the sides ofthe trough 16.

In order to prevent the contents of the can being thrown upwardlyagainst the top and deflected therefrom downwardly between the outersurface of the can and the interior of the shell, I provide a covermember for the trough which is shown as comprising a channel 27 whichfits loosely in the trough but which provides ample space for thepassage of the contents and, at the same time, prevents their beingthrown upwardly against the cover when the device is tipped or tilted.

This channel member 27 serves another purpose when the device is not inuse by providing means for closing the outlets 18 and 18 in the bottomof the trough. This is accomplished simply by removing the channelmember 27 and turning it over into the position shown in Fig. 5.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I show a modified form of the device which is adaptedfor use in connection with canned liquids. Such device comprises acontainer which is in the nature of a pitcher indicated by referencenumeral 30. This container is provided with a handle 31 and a spout 32which communicates through an opening 33 with the interior of thecontainer.

Reference numeral 34indicates a top or cover member which is providedwith a downwardly extending skirt 35 that extends below the opening 33.This skirt is provided with an opening 36 which may be rotated intoalignment with the opening 33 when it is desired to pour the contentsfrom the container.

The container is made of a size such that it will accommodate thecontents of a conventional can of condensed milk or similar liquid, andthe inner diameter of the skirt 35 is such that the skirt will fitdownwardly over such a can as shown in Fig. '7 where the can isindicated by reference numeral 37.

The cover member 34 in this modification of my invention is providedwith a pair of oppositely disposed piercing members indicated byreference numerals 38'and 39. In using this device, the cover member isemployed to pierce the top of the can in the manner indicated in Fig. 7,after which the 'contents of the can are poured into the container 30and the top is placed thereon, as indicated in Fig. 6.

In the operation of the device shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, it ismerely necessary to place the shell 13 over the can in the mannerindicated in Fig. l, and, by the application of a substantial pressureon top of the shell, the hollow or tubular punches 19 and 19 are forcedthrough the top, automatically locking the can in the shell, and, at thesame time, providing means for delivering the contents of the can intothe pouring chamber.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the devicecontemplated by this invention is of simple form and construction; itmay be economically manufactured; it is of attractive appearance; it canbe easily cleaned; and is sanitary in every respect.

It is to be understood that, while I have herein described andillustrated one preferred form of my invention, the invention is notlimited to the precise construction described above, but includes withinits scope whatever changes fairly come within the spirit of the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. For use in combination with a sealed can, a container for said canadapted to dispense the contents thereof embodying: a hollow shelladapted to fit over said can; a lip on the upper edge of said shell; atrough mounted in the top of said shell in communication with said lip;a hollow punch in the bottom of said trough for puncturing the top ofsaid can and delivering the contents thereof into said trough when saidshell is tilted; and cover means for said trough comprising an invertedchannel member removably mounted in said trough with its side edgesengaging the bottom of said trough.

2. For use in combination with a sealed can, a container for said canadapted to dispense the contents thereof embodying: a hollow shelladapted to fit over said can; a lip on the upper edge of said shell; atrough mounted across the top of said shell in communication with saidlip; a hollow punch in the bottom of said trough for puncturing the topof said can and delivering the contents thereof into said trough whensaid shell is tilted; and cover means for the bottom of said trough andfor the opening in said punch comprising a channel member removablymounted in said trough, said channel member extending the entire lengthof said trough and having a flat surface engaging the bottom of saidtrough.

3. For use in combination with a sealed can, a container for said canadapted to dispense the contents thereof embodying: a hollow shelladapted to fit over said can; a lip on the upper edge of said shell; atrough mounted in the top of said shell in communication with said lip;a hollow punch in the bottom of said trough for puncturing the top ofsaid can and delivering the contents thereof into said trough when saidshell is tilted; a cover for said shell; and a spring clip mounted onthe under side of said cover for engaging said trough.

4. For use in combination with a sealed can, a Container for said canadapted to dispense the contents thereof embodying: a hollow shelladapted to fit over said can; a lip on the upper edge of said shell; atrough mounted in the top of said shell in communication with said lip;and a hollow punch in the bottom of said trough for puncturing the topof said can and delivering the contents thereof into said trough whensaid shell is tilted, said punch being tapered downwardly from the sidenearest the edge of said can.

5. An article of the class described embodying: a bottomless shelladapted to fit over a sealed can; a pouring member formed on the upperextremity of said shell; a pouring chamber formed in the top of saidshell and communicating with said pouring member; and a pair ofoppositely disposed hollow punch members mounted in the a hollow punchmeans mounted in the bottom.

of said trough and extending through punctured apertures in the top ofsaid can for locking said can in said shell and delivering the contentsthereof into said trough; and a cover channel removably mounted in saidtrough.

ALVIS J. HAUSKINS.

